This page exists to both direct and document our consideration of Dead Birds, the epic, classic film by Robert Gardner (with Michael Rockerfeller, Peter Mathiesson, and others)

You should download this article by Robert Gardner on the making of Dead Birds. Please read the article.It will provide context on the film.gardner.pdf

Discussion Questions

Upon seeing the film and hearing the story of the eternal, ghost-driven war of the Dani, a Christian missionary group began raising funds to finance a mission to the Dani with the idea of introducing the Gospel message of peace, love, and brotherhood. Thus a god of absolute and unending compassion would replace the superstitious belief in dangerous, vengeful ghosts that fuel the perpetual war that the film documents? Here are some questions that come to mind:

"What is your first reaction?"

Looking at results, how likely is it that the Gospel message of peace, love, and brotherhood will create peace, love, or brotherhood?

Shouldn't we be concerned that angry and improperly attended ghosts are creating the disharmony and disruption we see in our world? How do we know that this is not the case?

It is probably clear to most American viewers that the Dani are trapped in a perpetual cycle of war through their commitment to a set of false beliefs that they would throw off if they could understand reality and reason. How is it that Americans are trapped in a perpetual cycle of war when our beliefs are grounded in the real world and we understand the fundamentals of reasoning? Is it not odd that people are so dismissive and distainfull of the irrational beliefs of others and so uncritical of their own?.

About the film itself:

Does the situation that the film portrays really constitute a war?

What does the film tell us about the human condition?

Compare/contrast the role of women & children in the film with those roles in “modern” warfare.

What is the most powerful takeaway (lesson, image, or conclusion) from this film?

Here are a few links to provide context and possible avenues of interest

​An article (2015)on what has happened to the Dani people 59 years after the release of "Dead Birds"